The present application relates to a variable illumination apparatus using an electrowetting phenomenon.
As variable illumination apparatuses that change an orientation of light to be emitted, there is a flash apparatus capable of irradiating a flash to a subject in a broad area by using an electrowetting phenomenon, for example (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2008-180919 (paragraph [0023]); hereinafter, referred to as Patent Document 1). The flash apparatus includes a liquid lens device and a light source. The liquid lens device includes two liquids whose refractive indices are different from each other, and an interface (lens surface) between the two liquids changes its shape by control of an applied voltage. In such a flash apparatus, to realize the thinning thereof, it is conceivable that the liquid lens device is provided with a plurality of lens surfaces and a height of each of the lens surfaces is reduced to thus structure a thinner liquid lens device than that having a single lens surface.